The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-06-22
A sEvEN-YEAR-oLp,s .1,rpREss1oss.

nave seen enough OF WlNShey 10 Ius!he
me hate it forever and forever.
I can't understand why people will
drink it when it is such an awful bad
thing and makes them look so wild and
terrible.
@, l can remember how my pa used
to look when he drank whisky, and L
can remember how scared mother was
when he came home drunk.
used to think we were as good as
other people, for we had nice house
and had enough to eat, and we all seemed
to get along irst-rate, except when pa
would go to the tavern and get drunk,
and then when he came home we would
have an awful time. He would strike
mother with anything he could get hold
of, and once when I told him be was
bad man to act that way, he took me by
one foot and slammed me clean across
the room.
was hurt and scared too, and mother
she screamed awful, and then she picked
me up and ran Out OF the house.
It was a cold night-yes. awful cold;
I can mind that very well, for when
mother took me to AIr. Weston's house
they said / was nearly frozen. Ny leg
hurt me awful bad too, and | cried and
cried.
when Mr.. Weston brought the doctor,
he said my leg was broken, and be setlt,
and it hurt pretty bad too, but l tried
not to cry, for knew it made mother
feel kind OF distressed.
But I couldn't stop the CRY altogether.
It would break out sometimes. I tell
you it is pretty bad to have broken
leg. It is bad for little boy, but l
reckon it wouldn't be so bad for q big
boy or man.
hated my pc after that. What did
he break my leg for? l asked myself
that question a good many times.
Wasn't his own boy? And hadn't he
been good to me before? Then why
should he rise right up and slam me
across the room and break my leg Just
because told him he was bad man to
act so ugly and strike mother?
= I talked to mother about it when l
was lying with my broken leg, anG it
hurting pretty bad too, and she said 1t
vas whisky that did it.
But I told her that if whisky and pa
hadn't got together it wouldn't have
been done. Whisky in bottle wouldn t
have done it, but whisky in pa is what
caused the trouble.
7 told mother l wondered why people
drank whisky when it made them so bad,
and caused them to slam boys around
and break their legs. She said they
couldn't help it. When they commenced
they were compelled to go ahead. They
might try to stop, but they couldn't.
Il whisky is as bad as that, oughtn t
psop1s lc Sc very careful? l think they
ought to shut their mouths and strike
right and left when they come near to it.
Inever asked mother to explain all
about this, for she died soon after, and
T didn't have an opportunity to talk to
her, but I suppose that he meant that
whiskey would chase man and get into
his mouth and down his throat whether
he wanted it or not.
# that's the case, whisky is terrible
monster.
Mr.. Weston is preacher, and he says
it bites like serpent, and stings like an
adder, and he says that serpents and
adders are snakes.
I have been thinking about it a good
deal, and I can't just understand how
whisky can get into the shape OF snakes,
but that must be the way Of it, for how
could whisky chase man and get down
his throat, unless it did first get into the
shape of snake, and then rrln along the
ground and climb up his legs and plump
down his throat?
And I think this must be the way OF
it, because I heard Sammy Weston tel.
about drunkard that had snakes III his
boots. I reckon the snakes couldu'i
climb clear up to the mans mouth and
so they got into his boots.
If I had to have snakes at all, I'd an
awful sight rather they would get into
my boots than to get into my mouth and
down my throat.
And, speaking Of boots, I've got my
first pair on now.
My pa ever had money to buy me
boots, but he had money to buy stakes
Now, which is the worst? Snakes, ot
course.
I said my mother was dead. Yes, she
didn't live long after pa broke my leg
and drove US out Of the house.
Mr.. Weston says she died of a broken
heart.
Ireckon when people die OF broSer
--earts they cry good deal. That's the
way it was with mother, anyhow.
I asked Mr.. Weston il he didn't-thinl
that when nv Door mother died of 8
broken heart, somebody oug hint to &C
over and make my pa die of broken
head. He began it, you know.
Mr.. Weston got up and went to lool
for good book. wonder if he thought
it was wicked for NE to say that.
! continued. l said guessed it would
be about right, for lie had given mothe,
a broken heart and me broken leg, and
it would only be doing him justice tc
give him broken head.
Mr.. Weston didn't say anything, but
continued to look for the book.
But am glad my mother is dead. She
sighed SO much, and she cried nearly al
the time, and Mr.. Weston says be be-
ieves that she has gone where there is
no signing nor crying, and where Goo
wipes all tears away.
1 don't reckon pa viii ever get into
that good place where mother and Coo
are.
When get to be big man, l intend
to fight whisky and snakes as long as ]
live.
T Gon't like peoDle tha+ sell whisky.